The clinic will host a grand opening Thursday, Nov. 7, as part of the Give Kids a Smile American Dental Association NASCAR event.

Although the clinic’s target audience is adults, Arizona Dental Foundation Executive Director Ginger Froncek said it is appropriate to have a “giving grand opening” by treating nearly 100 children.

The need

In 2010, Arizona’s Medicaid program eliminated dental-health benefits for adults, leaving an estimated 250,000 low-income adults, seniors and individuals with special needs in Maricopa County without access to oral care.

According to the Arizona Dental Foundation, the charity and educational arm of the Arizona Dental Association, only one in every three Arizona adults who falls below the federal poverty level has seen a dentist in the past year. The national average is one in every two adults.

Lack of dental care can lead to tooth decay and other oral problems. That, in turn, can cause systemic health issues such as kidney and cardiovascular problems, Froncek said.

To combat lack of low-cost dental care, the Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation hosted Mission of Mercy in December at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The two-day event featured 100 portable dental units and more than 1,500 volunteers who treated 1,659 patients.

Organizers had to turn away as many patients as they treated because they didn’t have enough time or supplies.

Because this event occurs only once a year and the dentists can do only limited treatment, dental association Executive Director Kevin Earle said the project will work with the dental clinic to schedule follow-up visits for patients who need extensive work.

“It will be a handshake between the two projects,” he said.

The clinic

The 8,205-square-foot center, 1150 E. Washington St., is adjacent to a light-rail stop at 12th and Washington streets.

Earle said the location makes the clinic accessible to patients who rely on public transportation and can’t easily get to other affordable dental-care centers in the Valley.

The clinic helps people who have been on the foundation’s waiting list for reduced-fee treatment. It also gets referrals from other organizations, emergency rooms and foundation members.

The clinic is open Mondays and Fridays and accepts patients who can prove their income is at or below the 200 percent federal poverty level, she said. For a household of one, that’s $22,980.

The clinic charges on a sliding-fee scale that ranges from $25 to $50 per visit.

The volunteer-driven clinic offers emergency care to relieve pain and infections, usually by extracting a tooth; diagnostic and preventative care, such as cleanings and sealants; restorative care, such as root canals; and rehabilitative care, such as crowns, bridges and dentures.

The clinic also will refer patients to other medical facilities if health issues are found, said Charlie Clark, pediatric dentist and Arizona Dental Foundation board member.

Clark said this model will address one of the clinic’s goals of tackling patient’s overall health.

“This isn’t about a smile makeover,” he said. “This is about returning the patient to healthy and normal mouth functions and preventing or eliminating diseases.”

How it works

The Arizona Dental Association and Delta Dental of Arizona bought the clinic 15 years ago.

The facility once housed the Rio Salado Community College dental-hygiene program until it moved to Tempe.

More than a dozen dentists have volunteered in the clinic since its opening in September. Froncek said about 30 other dentists have signed up to volunteer.

Froncek said the group is trying to reduce the five-year waiting list for services.

“We have been able to whittle that down some,” Froncek said.

People on the list have to be 65 or older, receiving Social Security disability income or be medically compromised.

“They don’t have dental care, they’re sick and they don’t have access to care or the funds to pay for dental care out of pocket,” she said. “It’s sad to have such a long waiting list.”

Clark said the association receives more than 1,000 emergency phone calls each year. These people now can be referred to the clinic.

The future

The emergency dental clinic is being planned in four phases. The ultimate goal is to include four oral-surgery suites, 12 general-dentistry and hygiene chairs, and a radiology and sterilization facility, Froncek said.

The group launched a funding campaign, Rebuilding Healthy Lives, to raise $1.6 million to expand the clinic, she said. About 25 percent of the funds has been raised, and Froncek estimates the goal will be reached in about two years.

“It takes money to do what we want to do,” said Dr. Michael Smith, who is the clinic director and chairman of the foundation board. “We’ve built alliances to create a sustainable model, but we want to see more patients and have more volunteers.”

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